Amalgamation
Amalgamation is a story written by ToaGonel for the 2016 Halloween Writing Contest. Story Chapter One Present Day: Three Dark Hunters made their way slowly through the rubble of a battlefield on the Tren Krom Peninsula. The combat zone had been the scene of a week-long battle between the Brotherhood of Makuta and the Dark Hunters, and it looked the part. War between the two organizations had been raging ever since the Makuta of Metru Nui absorbed three Dark Hunters and a Nivawk in his desperate bid to seize control of the city. Upon learning of the Makuta’s treachery, ‘the Shadowed One’, king of the Dark Hunters, declared war on the Brotherhood, a war that had been raging for several hundred years now. Under normal circumstances, war on the Brotherhood of Makuta would be like fighting the sun or the sea, but because of certain decisions Teridax had made of late, Toa were striking at the Brotherhood at every opportunity. The great Visorak hordes had already been trashed. The Dark Hunter in the lead, named ‘Sensor’ kicked aside rubble in his path. Every once in a while, he picked up a piece of armor, studied it, and dumped it to the side. Sensor wore a Mask of Psychometry, a mask that enabled him to see visions of an object’s past. Generally the Shadowed One assigned Sensor to investigate combat zones for this reason; through using his mask on pieces of armor, bits of weapons, Kanohi, or other such materials lying around, he could see what they’d seen. He could learn whether there had been a traitor in the Dark Hunter ranks, whether the Brotherhood had used this battle to prepare for something greater, or whether there was something some Hunter had wanted the Shadowed One to learn in his final moments. Everything was then reported to the Shadowed One on Odina. Sensor had often heard the lament ‘If walls could talk’. Well, to him they could. Behind him, ‘Guardian’ and ‘Firedracax’ were also scanning the field, looking more for salvageable materials than anything else. While they were primarily purposed with escorting Sensor and ensuring he wasn’t struck down by some Makuta sniper, they found that, more often than not, Makuta had no clue what his purpose was, much less that he could be learning their deepest, darkest secrets. Sensor had only once experienced someone take a shot at him, and even then the Makuta servant was only trying to take down as many Hunters as he could before he passed, not specifically targeting him. Sensor couldn’t help but feel secure in his job. Often he even bragged about having the safest job in the mercenary organization. Sensor picked up an Exo-Toa chestpiece and discarded it quickly. Striding forward, he nearly tripped over a disembodied head. Frowning, he picked it up and stared at it, confused. The head he recognized; it had belonged to an old comrade and friend, ‘Mimic’. But Mimic had been killed in the Toa-Dark Hunter War, two thousand years ago. Something was very peculiar. Curious as to the history of the head, he leaned in and activated his Kanohi. ---- Sensor found himself in the dark passageway of earth and metal. The place looked familiar, like it was someplace he ought to recognize but taken out of context, he did not. All around him, Dark Hunters were brandishing their weapons and racing toward some unseen enemy. Intrigued, Sensor strolled forward through the ghostly forms of Dark Hunters, many of whom he knew. The Toa-Dark Hunter War, Sensor thought. Not being a soldier, he hadn’t experienced the combat first-hand, but he had worked behind the scenes, in Odina. Only once had he visited the island, and that was part of a setup for a battle launching from Onu-Metru to Ta-Metru. But he left quickly. Sensor wasn’t there when the war ended due to mysterious circumstances. This must be the Archives, thought Sensor. Since all the fighting happened on Metru Nui, the only place this resembles must be the Archives. But it’s no wing I ever visited. The spectral bodies of the Dark Hunters were slowing and Sensor saw a corner up ahead. ‘Subterranean’, likely the squadron commander, was pointing at some unseen entity around the other side. Sensor started forward, but instinctively leapt back when a blast of raw ice, water, and air shattered the commander. I knew they had some weird Rahi ‘round these parts, but Karzahni! Chuckling nervously, Sensor poked his head around the corner. What he saw made his jaw fall open. The towering, hulking gargantuan around the corner looked like a mutated Hordika Dragon gone terribly wrong. The monstrosity had only a stump for a head which was covered by an inanimate gold Hau, but as it reeled back, “faces” dispersed across its torso and shoulders unleashed a petrifying shriek. As it moved what would be considered “arms”, it was as though four limbs had been sloppily bound together and acted as one. Raising its left hand, jets of fire, plantlife, and earth ripped forth, blasting fourteen Dark Hunters to shreds. The whole thing was a vision, but Sensor felt like a piece of shrapnel brushed his right leg. Suddenly uncomfortable, Sensor tried to deactivate his mask, but the mask didn’t respond. The beast “stepped” forward, and Sensor noticed its many legs--twenty-two in all--rolling forward as a many-legged spider. Screaming, the Dark Hunters raced forward, but Sensor ducked and covered his head in his hands; he couldn’t bear to watch. Screaming, screeching, ripping, clawing, shattering, smashing, wrenching, clattering, snapping, snarling noises blurred together in a horrible caterwaul of destruction. The battle ended in two minutes, but it took six and a half minutes for the echoes in Sensor’s ears to die down. Using every ounce of willpower, Sensor ordered his Kanohi to deactivate, but still his mask refused to budge. Slowly, hesitantly, the Dark Hunter raised his head. Corpses lined the halls, corpses of so many of his comrades. Sensor’s eyes fell on the shattered remains of the squadron commander. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He raised his head. The monster was simply standing there, staring at something behind him. Sensor turned around, but to his horror, no one was there. He was alone. He forced himself to turn around. He stared at the monster like a deer at headlights. The monster was pointing directly at him. The monster opened its mouths and they spoke as one. “''Fear shall be yours, Hunter of the dark.” With that, the monster leapt forward, reaching for Sensor’s neck. The Dark Hunter knew that the monster couldn’t hurt him--it was a vision after all (and technically the dream’s spectre shouldn’t see him either)--but the terrified Hunter threw all the power he had into his mask. As the monster’s hands closed around his neck, the Dark Hunter thought he felt physical contact, but at that moment his mask must have activated, for the vision fell away with a crack. ---- Sensor bolted upright. Somehow he must’ve fallen to the ground, for Guardian and Firedracax were standing over him. Guardian noted that Sensor was gasping as though he had been drowning. “Are you okay, Sensor? And what is Mimic’s head doing here--” “No clue, not interested.” Sensor leapt to his feet. Voices in his head were screaming that he, Sensor, was in terrible danger. He had no clue what had happened so many thousands of years ago in that battle of the Toa-Dark Hunter War, but he didn’t care. Something was coming for him. The only safe haven was at Odina, headquarters of the Dark Hunters, and surrounded by some of the most powerful beings in the universe. “We have to--Odina--before the--finds me!” he gasped, running for the shore where their boat lay. “None of us are safe!” Guardian and Firedracax exchanged confused glances and ran after him. '''Chapter Two' Two Thousand Years Ago: Turaga Dume, leader of the city of Metru Nui, gazed sadly out a window over his beloved city. Some Dark Hunter had set off a bomb near the Moto-Hub in Le-Metru and the resultant fires were licking their ways toward Ko-Metru. Normally the four Toa Mangai of Ice would be deployed to stop them, but tonight they were required for far more important matters. How has it come to this?'' he thought. What could possibly drive the Shadowed One to declare war on our peaceful island? ''But Dume knew the answer. The king of the Dark Hunters had long been greedy for a base in Metru Nui, and he had tried just about everything to achieve that end. Some attempts had been more peaceful, others had involved bribes, and still others actually involved the deaths of Matoran. Each bid had only hardened both leaders’ resolve until the Shadowed One snapped. The king ordered his Dark Hunters to descend upon the city. Dark Hunters traditionally work in the shadows as silent assassins, as secret avengers. To march as an army in broad daylight was against their nature, but the the Shadowed One had reached the tipping point. Once more, Dume turned to the Toa, guardians of the city, for help. Yet, try as they might, the eleven Toa Mangai were no match for the Dark Hunter army. After several hours, Dume sent a city-wide broadcast, ordering the Toa to retreat back to the Coliseum and commanding the Matoran to hide where they could. It didn’t take long for the Dark Hunters to begin routinely digging out Matoran and killing them to force Dume to surrender. But Dume couldn’t give up. He’d sworn to the Dark Hunters that they would not seize Metru Nui. There was a way, and he knew it. Consulting Nuparu and a gaggle of Ko-Matoran scholars, he worked out a plan behind the backs of the Toa Mangai. And Mata Nui save me if it fails. Nuparu’s voice came from behind the Turaga. “Turaga? We’re ready.” Silently the Turaga followed the Onu-Matoran down the cold stone steps. ---- They emerged in a cavern deep within the Coliseum basements. In the center of the room lay the eleven Toa Mangai; they’d been secretly administered a special virus designed to put them to sleep. They didn’t know what was happening. Mata Nui knew Dume wished he didn’t. A Ko-Matoran walked up to him. “Would you like to be reminded of what we are about to do?” Dume shook his head. He tried to say ‘no’ but his throat was dry. The Turaga was aware that Matoran were capable of rebuilding themselves. He had also heard legends of ‘Toa Nui’, a hypothetical feat that involved six or more Toa willingly merging into one being. Dume had never seen it happen, and when the Toa Mangai once tried to do it, it failed. Deep down he doubted it was even possible, but something had to be done about the Dark Hunters. And if the Toa lacked the unity to unite on their own, well… The Matoran began their work. Dume didn’t know how the idea had formed. One thing had led to another which led to another. Pieces of each proposal blended together in an idea as mad as it was genius. Somehow he’d approved the idea at the time, but now that he saw the Toa lying before him… Desperate times call for desperate measures. At least, so he had to tell himself. Tuyet was completely disassembled. Of Nidhiki, only a leg remained. The Ko-Matoran fought to ignore their gnawing horrors at what their hands were doing, but they pressed on. The Toa Mangai had done so much to protect the city, Dume knew. They had sacrificed their old lives, stood in the face of danger, and refused to flinch. They had given so much to the city and now they had to give this. Dume only hoped they would understand why this had to be done. He only hoped they would forgive him for what he was doing. At the center of the room, a form was emerging. Matoran were piecing together first the legs--all twenty-two of them. Bits of head, arms and torso were attached above them to form a pelvic girdle, then a core, a chest, and topped off by a pectoral girdle. Arms were attached, hanging loosely at first, then bound tighter and tighter. Horrified, one of the Matoran, named Ihu, fled the chamber. Grimly, the Ko-Matoran pressed on. Standing on a ladder, Nuparu attached Lhikan’s head. He and the others then poured several buckets of lightly molten protodermis over the form which hardened and joined the pieces. To Dume’s horror, the protodermis had the unintentional effect of softening the Toa of Fire’s skull, and the Turaga stared as it sank into the neck. Grimly, Nuparu placed Lhikan’s Hau over the stump and the amalgamation’s eyes lit to life. “Lhikan was always their head…” Chapter Three Present Day: The Shadowed One sat brooding on his throne. An ensign had reported minutes ago that his Tren Krom Peninsula team had returned to Odina days ahead of schedule. Something had spooked them. Sensor would have to be disciplined. The king of the Dark Hunters crossed his fingers thoughtfully. He doubted the Makuta would’ve scared them. His soldiers knew how to handle Makuta. It had to be something else. Or something new. It hadn’t always been this way. Due to unknown circumstances, the Dark Hunter army had been obliterated in Metru Nui, and those who had escaped were rendered forever mad. A basic understanding of the outcome of the war was enough to instill a fear of Metru Nui in the hearts of everyone else in the universe, and when Makuta Teridax, Makuta of Metru Nui, ordered that the sea-gates be blocked to the city, nobody asked why. The Shadowed One never forgot his lust for a base in Metru Nui, but he’d feared returning to the city. So when Teridax hired Dark Hunters for a mission in the city--a mission Teridax himself would accompany them on--the Shadowed One leapt on the chance. He feared sending more agents into the black hole that was Metru Nui on their own, but sending them with a Makuta would surely ensure their survival. Krekka, Dweller, Thok, and Eliminator went. Eliminator was purposed with taking out the Toa Mangai if they were to be found, which they weren’t. Krekka and Thok worked directly for Makuta, and Dweller served as a plant for the Shadowed One to see if Metru Nui was now ripe for conquest. The information Dweller garnered was intriguing to say the least. No records had been kept, even by the Turaga, as to the whereabouts of the Toa Mangai, but Dume had seen it necessary to bring about six new Toa, one for each Metru. The six kept watch over the city, unaware as Makuta and the Dark Hunters carried out their joint mission. But when Makuta cast the Matoran into everlasting sleep, all word from three of the Shadowed One’s four agents went dark. The Shadowed One feared the worst--more Dark Hunters descending into Metru Nui never to return spelled judgement for the mercenary organization. Eliminator’s successful return eased the Shadowed One’s worries and piqued his curiosity enough that he resolved to visit the city. A three-way battle between him, Makuta Teridax, and Vakama, the Toa Metru of Fire, revealed the reason for the disappearance of Dweller, Thok, and Krekka; impatient to regain lost energies, Makuta Teridax had absorbed the Hunters into himself. Furious, the Shadowed One declared war on the Makuta organization--the war that lasted to this day. ---- At that moment, Sensor stormed in, accompanied by ‘Ancient’, the Shadowed One’s most trusted lieutenant and the closest thing he had to a friend. The Shadowed One stood up. “Sensor, what is the meaning of this? And why aren’t you still at the Peninsula?” the Shadowed One snarled. “My lord,” Sensor bowed. “I have reason to believe we are under attack.” “By whom, agent?” the Shadowed One snorted. “Do not think you can toy with me.” Hastily, Sensor related the story of his vision. The Shadowed One’s sarcastic expression changed to one of seriousness, then one of alarm, then one of anger. “So you think this… being is responsible for the Dark Hunter deaths in Metru Nui?” Sensor nodded. The Shadowed One turned his back to Sensor and walked over to the wall. Ancient walked up beside him. “The Hunter is telling the truth,” the Shadowed One said. “I can sense it.” “Sensor has been a trustworthy agent in the past. He wouldn’t have achieved the rank he holds had it not been for his firm loyalty.” “If he’s right, it’s a chance for vengeance…” the Shadowed One muttered. “If he’s wrong, it’s one less obstacle to be dealt with in the future. Either way… I don’t think it will hurt to execute this fiend.” The Shadowed One and Ancient turned back to Sensor. “How do we know this thing is coming for us?” Sensor smiled. “''It lives to kill Dark Hunters.” ---- Sensor raced away from the Shadowed One’s office. Never had he been in a situation delicate or dangerous as this. Of course, there’s nothing a little truth-bending couldn’t fix. The monster didn’t exist for the purpose of killing Dark Hunters, at least not as far as Sensor knew. All Sensor was certain about was the monster was hunting him down, tracking him at the very moment. Instincts at the core of Sensor’s being screamed that the monster would fight anything that got between it and him, so why not set the second most powerful organization in the universe between them? '''Chapter Four' Two Thousand Years Ago: The monster crashed through the walls of the Coliseum basement, seeking its old enemies, the Dark Hunters. To its surprise, it found itself in a large dirt tunnel, lined with doors and branches leading into animal cages. The monster frowned as it realized where it was. Leaping up, the monster crashed through the ceiling, clawing his way to the surface of Metru Nui. ---- Dume’s legs pumped faster than he even knew they could. He had to make it to the broadcasting station on the upper levels of the Coliseum. The Matoran had to be warned. The way that… thing had shattered the wall like a thin sheet of glass. What have we done? In his mind, the Turaga could already hear the screams of helpless victims. The Dark Hunters could go to Karzahni, but if it decided it loathed Matoran… The Matoran made it what it is… No. Dume made it what it was. Dume slammed through the doors of the broadcasting center. One of the Matoran rose, “What are you doi--” but Dume shoved him aside and positioned himself before the camera. “Attention all Matoran of Metru Nui. ''Do not emerge from your hiding spots. This night a great terror has been let loose on the city. When the Dark Hunters first unlocked the Kanohi Dragon, I swore to them that I'd see this city reduced to rubble, with not even two bricks still together, before I let their kind take root here.” Dume swallowed. “But tonight I have unleashed the final endgame.'' “Dark Hunters, if you are listening and if you have any sense, flee before this gets any worse. Something is coming for you, something I have created because you forced my hand. Be warned. You cannot stand here any longer. The thing you have forced me to create…” Dume gulped. “It lives to kill Dark Hunters.” Chapter Five Present Day: Sensor ran through Odina’s halls, rushing back to his room. No one else seemed in much rush to go anywhere; none of them had seen the vision Sensor had. None of them knew the terror the great beast inspired. Sensor passed a Hunter named ‘Subterranean’. Stopping, Sensor stared at the Hunter as he retreated into the darkness. There was something bugging him, something in the back of his mind. A hand seized his shoulder, twirling the petrified Sensor around. “The Shadowed One wants you to compile the rest of your report from the Tren Krom Peninsula onto a carving,” the Hunter called ‘Prototype’ said. “He’ll take it tomorrow.” “Th-tha-er-good to kn--I’ll do it lat--” But Prototype had already stormed off. Sensor watched him too as he went. Prototype had been the result of a fusion between a Toa of Fire and Earth. Sensor didn’t know about his monster’s origins, but somehow it seemed the monster and Prototype were connected somehow. Shaking his head, Sensor resumed his path. The monster opened its mouths and they spoke as one: “Fear shall be yours, Hunter of the dark.” Sensor shuddered as he pushed open the door to barracks wing. Was this unusual? Did the others face terrors like this on a regular basis? Was this what came with being a field agent? In Sensor’s vision, the agents bravely charged forward to face the monster; was Sensor simply overreacting? His heart sank as he realized what he’d just gambled. He had literally just put the Shadowed One and Ancient on high alert that something extremely dangerous was coming to attack Odina. If this proved to be a false alarm, if he was wrong and nothing was coming, he’d literally just traded his comfortable position in the organization for the torture chamber. The Shadowed One would not tolerate such behavior. ‘Predator’ poked his head in the barrack chamber. “Just thought you should know; some intruder just landed on the northwestern beach.” And just like that, Sensor knew he'd made the right choice. Chapter Six Two Thousand Years Ago: There is nothing more horrifying than monstrous Toa, at least in the eyes of the inhabitants of the Matoran Universe. Toa represent all that is good--anyone, from the most devious Vortixx to the most innocent Matoran to the most insane Skakdi recognized this. Toa were popularly mocked by non-Matoran, but deep down, everyone knew that Toa are incorruptible. Or at least, they knew a corrupted Toa was unnatural. The great Kaita wasted little time in the Archives, proceeding immediately to ravage large Dark Hunter hubs in Le-Metru and Po-Metru. At one point the Dark Hunters successfully baited the beast into the Canyon of Unending Whispers only to reveal hundreds of Hunters hiding in the rocks, but the monster tore through them like a swarm of insects. Meanwhile, back on Odina, the Shadowed One and his staff only received hints of the goings-on in Metru Nui. Any Dark Hunters who managed to escape the city returned without their minds. The Shadowed One continued throwing agents into the black hole that was Metru Nui, but hardly anything returned. Hopelessly, the Shadowed One announced to the universe that the war had come to a standstill, but from Metru Nui there was no word. With the Dark Hunter army on Metru Nui nonexistent, the Matoran successfully managed to lock the monster up in the Great Temple. There it waited until the day it sensed a single Dark Hunter, far off on a distant peninsula, seeking answers that he should not... Chapter Seven Present Day: Sensor rolled over in the upper level of his bunk bed and tried unsuccessfully to imagine a world where the Dark Hunters were making nice with the monster. Perhaps the Shadowed One would find some use for it, like the Rahi Nui, the Hordika Dragons, or so many agents. Yes, the Shadowed One was good at this sort of thing. Just then, a troop of hunters ran through the room. At their head was Lariska. Sensor tried to disguise himself as well as possible, but Lariska saw him. “Get out of bed, Hunter,” she snarled. “This fortress is on high alert.” Sensor tried to look as surprised as possible, but inwardly he groaned. He’d been spotted. Now he had to go. So the Hunter ran with Lariska. Any attempt Sensor made to jog purposefully in another direction or making excuses to leave were thwarted by Lariska’s eagle eyes and keen intellect. Soon they approached a hallway on the east side of the fortress, one that was connected to a series of training rooms specialized for field personnel, a member of whom he was not. The architecture here was different from that of most of the fortress. Lariska frowned, alarmed. “The intruder’s made it inside the building,” she muttered. “I must warn the Shadowed One.” “I’ll come with you.” Lariska scowled. “Sensor, I’ve had enough of your cowardly attempts at leaving tonight. You will stay here.” She looked at Subterranean who was standing nearby. “Subterranean, you’re in charge. Don’t let Sensor leave. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Subterranean nodded and Lariska left. Sensor looked back down the hallway. Behind him, Lariska’s squadron brandished their weapons and racing toward the monster, presumably around the corner. Sensor leaned against the metal and earth wall, suddenly faint. What had he done wrong? Much to his surprise, for the first time in his life, he found himself praying. Mata Nui, I haven’t killed a single Toa in my life. Every Matoran I have seen, I have looked the other way, and I’ve never cracked a single Turaga Joke in spite of my peers. You ''know I don’t deserve to die.'' Grimly, Sensor dared to poke his head around the corner. His eyes widened at what he saw. On second thought, just take me straight to Artakha. The amalgam roared, looking a thousand times worse than it had in Sensor’s vision. One gust from its right hand blasted Subterranean to smithereens; another from its left hand took out fourteen Hunters. The monster began rolling forward on its many legs, but the Dark Hunters charged to meet it. Petrified, Sensor simply stood there, unable to look away as his friends and comrades met their demise in ways too horrible to describe. Gears were beginning to click in his mind. At last the chaos ended. Corpses lay strewn around the monster who itself stood unharmed. The monster’s many faces grinned at Sensor who could only stare. “''Fear shall be yours, Hunter of the dark.” With that, the monster leapt forward, reaching for the screaming Dark Hunter. As the monster’s hands closed around his neck, Sensor thought he felt physical contact, but at that moment, reality fell away with a crack. Characters * Sensor * Guardian * Firedracax * Dume * Nuparu * Ihu * The Shadowed One * Ancient * Toa Mangai ** Nidhiki ** Tuyet ** Lhikan ** Eight other Toa Mangai * Subterranean * Prototype * Predator * Lariska * Monster * Krekka (mentioned) * Dweller (mentioned) * Thok (mentioned) * Eliminator (mentioned) * Mimic (head only) * Makuta Teridax (mentioned) * Toa Metru (mentioned) ** Vakama (mentioned) ** Other Toa Metru (mentioned) * Various Ko-Matoran scholars * Other Matoran of Metru Nui * Other Dark Hunters * Other Toa (mentioned) Story Notes * In chapter one, a comparison is made between warring on the Makuta and warring on the sun and sea. This and the following statements are parodies on similar comparisons made in ''BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil. * The idea of Dume, Nuparu, and the Ko-Matoran deconstructing and reconstructing the Toa into a new form is based on the idea of MOCing. * In chapter four, in Dume’s announcement to the city, he says he told the Dark Hunters he’d “see this city reduced to rubble, with not even two bricks still together, before I let their kind take root here.” This quote is drawn from BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil, or the days before the Toa-Dark Hunter conflict erupted. (You can also find it at the top of Dume’s Biosector01 entry.) * In chapter five, the Hunter, Predator, tells Sensor that an intruder has landed on the northwestern beach. In the Prime Reality, this beach is known as “Nidhiki Beach” however, as Nidhiki never got a chance to betray Metru Nui, he wasn’t turned over to the Dark Hunters and the beach remained unnamed. * In chapter six, the narrative mentions a point where the Dark Hunters baited the monster in the Canyon of Unending Whispers to ambush it only to meet their demise. These events are meant as the antithesis to the final battle of the Toa-Dark Hunter War in the Prime Reality. ** The struggle between the Dark Hunters and the monster is also a sort of antithesis to the battle between the Toa Mangai and the Kanohi Dragon, representing the ultimate payback on the part of Dume. * The Matoran are ultimately able to lock the monster in the Great Temple because the same instincts telling it to hate Dark Hunters tells the monster to honor the Matoran. This suggests some semblance of the minds of its predecessors remain alive in the monster. * Subterranean's presence both in the vision (Chapter One) and when they pass in Odina's halls (Chapter Five) is a major hint as to the twist at the end. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sensor realizes this, and in both sections it bothers him. There are a few reasons for this. ** Subterranean passes Sensor in the hall even after seeing him die in his vision, a vision denoting events presumably taking place two thousand years before. ** Those familiar with Subterranean's history (aka those who've read BIONICLE: Dark Hunters too many times--aka myself) will know that he joined the Dark Hunters because of an incident that happened during the Toa/Dark Hunter War. Because of this, the probability that he would be sent to attack Metru Nui is very small. Sensor should know this, but it slips his mind since he is so used to seeing Subterranean these days. ** Additionally, their casual passing in the halls reveals it is likely Sensor knew him, if not very well. This is why something bothers him when he sees him dead (as the assumed squadron commander) in the vision; he doesn't dwell on this aspect of the vision, however, as he is distracted by the monster before he can figure it out. * Amalgamation takes place within the Sacriverse. For more information as to the Sacriverse and the reasons history worked out the way it did (including supplemental details following the story conclusion), feel free to check out its page. Trivia *This is ToaGonel’s entry into the 2016 Halloween Writing Contest (where it took second place). It is not meant to be scary per se, but rather tragic, hollow, and thought-provoking. **To fully understand the writing decisions, I recommend reading slowly and twice-through to appreciate it fully, but that’s up to you. Additionally, (and perhaps most importantly), it is meant to be… shall we say… dissected. *''Amalgamation'' draws inspiration from the BIONICLE Adventure series, BIONICLE Legends 4: Legacy of Evil, Greg’s Toa Mangai short stories, and BobTheDoctor27’s Besieged (plus BionicleChicken’s There Will Be Blood for the genre-mixing). Additionally, it draws inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein which ToaGonel read months before writing Amalgamation and which Gonel enjoyed thoroughly (to this day, Gonel refuses to watch Hollywood’s interpretation of Frankenstein). One could say it's an amalgamation of inspirations. *Gonel considered titling the story “Amangaimation”, an amalgamation of the terms “Amalgamation” and “Mangai”, for obvious reasons. However, this idea was dropped five seconds and a facepalm later. **Similarly, the Gonel has unofficially titled the monster, Frankaitastein. *Gonel actually first learned the word “amalgam” from The Kingdom. *Gonel designed the image in the banner. See Also * Besieged - A similar story where Toa are depicted as zombies * There Will Be Blood - A similar story where Toa are depicted as vampires